Google Pixel 4

If you’re coming from either a different brand or an older version of the Pixel, it’s well worth taking a look at the new Google Pixel 4. For the next iteration, we’d love to see an ultra-wide-angle lens and perhaps some more control for enthusiasts.

The technology just seems to get out of the way. There aren't any pop-ups telling you how to do things. They just work, and it's intuitive. Personally, I think the Google Pixel 4 is a solid buy, if only because despite some shortcomings, it ended up working for me in a way that few smartphones do.

The Google Pixel 4 has brilliant software matched with mostly great hardware. The battery disappoints and there are a few other minor issues, but all in all it's a great handset, especially for the price.

So, should you run out and buy a Pixel 4 XL? The answer is pretty obviously "no." We now have good evidence Google is going to offer big discounts on the new Pixels this coming Black Friday, so you might as well wait. It's not like Google hit this one out of the park anyway. I like the Pixel 4 XL, but Google is making too many compromises while at the same time trying to position the Pixel as an iPhone competitor. Google can, and should, do better.

As someone that bought and used every single Pixel phone since day one, I have to say I am rather disappointed by the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Not devastated, just a bit disappointed. All eyes were on Google for this generation of Pixel, it had the chance to really make a difference in the phone market, to show Apple, Samsung, and Huawei that it too can create market-defining phones. But instead, it just played it safe – from the design choices to the camera.

The Pixel 4 has one of the best cameras around, but it's expensive given its limited amount of storage. If you want more storage and a comparable camera, consider the OnePlus 7T or Galaxy S10, or the Pixel 3, which is only $500 right now.

The Pixel 4 is a pricey phone with poor battery life - that in itself will put many off. If you’re a power user who wants to grab loads of photos and videos, its storage options aren’t great, and while its camera is fantastic at night, this year, so is the iPhone’s. If you’ve got your heart set on a Pixel 4, go for the XL as that makes it through a day, though be warned.

Even a comparatively lower cost of £669 isn’t enough to save the Pixel 4. If only Google had given it a bigger battery the Pixel 4 could have been one of the best smartphones on the market. Instead this feels like Google’s iPhone 7 moment – a great phone ruined by terrible battery life.